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FOOD FIGHT!

“If we allow states to continue to irrationally produce laws
that require a completely safe food to contain labels, we risk raising the cost
of food on those who can least afford it.”

Representative Mike Pompeo, (Republican, Kansas)

Just a couple of notes here before moving on: 1) the
Congressman’s warning about the increasing cost of food for “those who can
least afford it” is several years too late since those of us who are not Donald
Trump or Sheldon Adelson already fall into the “those who can least afford it” category,
(See previous post: @ $25/lb steak) and 2) if I recall correctly – and this is
a leap of faith on my part with all of the conservative re-definitions of many commonly
used terms I used to recognize (See: Liberal = Communist) – isn’t there some
throw-away phrase in the U.S. Constitution that sort of, kinda, maybe, leaves
everything up to the 50 states (back then 13) that isn’t specifically reserved
to the Federal Government and thusly notated in the Constitution?

(A quick Google search reveals that yes,
indeed, the 10th Amendment really does say “The powers not delegated to the United States
by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the
States respectively, or to the people.)

I could wax indignant over the utter hypocrisy of
Congressman Pompeo’s trashing of the concept of States’ Rights or the blatant
trickery of naming his Brave New World invoking bill the “Safe and Accurate
Food Labeling Act” (which consumer groups have re-labeled the “Deny Consumers
the Right to Know Act”) or then again I could point out that the good
Congressman’s home state of Kansas where Governor Sam Brownback’s triple down
conservative economic policies have brought the state to near-financial ruin,
but in the spirit of fair and balanced reportage and liberal compassion, I
won’t.

But let’s take a look at some facts here.As you read this, three states, Connecticut,
Vermont and Maine, have already enacted GMO labeling laws and more than 20 other state
legislatures are considering doing the same.I would remind you, too, faithful reader, that over 30 countries require
such labeling and this includes Russia, China and India.China and Russia I get.After all in the Peoples’ Republic of the
Central Control Committee, China, or in the Federation of the Putin Band of
Crony Capitalists,’ Russia, you do what you’re told or you disappear.But India?WTF?

Then too, about 90% of our soybean and corn crops have been
genetically modified to resist pests and to consume less water and the American
Association for the Advancement of Science, the World Health Organization and
our own Federal Government have deemed genetically modified food ingredients
safe, although the FDA is resisting GMO labeling, for what purpose I certainly
cannot fathom. Oh.Wait just a second.Maybe I do.

Although Representative Pompeo makes no reference to
Cargill, Tyson, ConAgra, PepsiCo, Coca Cola and Kraft Foods in his bill, I will
take a wild guess here and suggest that it’s most likely, although admittedly blatant
speculation and a wholly unsupported assumption that I’m puling out of my ass
here, that these are the folks who are behind his “Safe and Accurate Food Labeling
Act.”I mean, this is just a wild,
wild, wild guess here on my part so please don’t quote me.

Congressman Pompeo points out that food prices would spike
if food producers had to abide by varied labeling laws from state to
state.God forbid, I suppose, that we
should be subjected to a sharp spike in food prices rather than the annual 20%
price increases we’ve gradually and painfully had to absorb over the past four
or five years.Of course, it’s no secret
that one can purchase U. S. Department of Agriculture certified “Organic”
foodstuffs from Whole Paycheck that, by law, cannot contain genetically
engineered ingredients.

But, for me,
that would require my selling my body out on the streets of the Capital of the
Free World to supplement my meager income. I am well aware that this “personal
responsibility” and “individual initiative” approach to supplement my annual
income, would, I assume, be met with wholesale approval and support from
conservative Kansans, Pompeo and Brownback. But Congressman and Governor, maybe 30 years
ago this would have been both a moderately lucrative and reasonably enjoyable part-time
free market capitalistic enterprise on my part but today I’m guessing that the
results of my efforts would necessarily entail dumpster diving and welfare-moocher
food stamp reliance thereby putting the cabash on achieving my personal America
Dream.

So bottom line here, the corporatization of America
continues with the assistance of Kansas’ conservative, Republican
representative who only has the health, welfare and well-being of all us
sentient, patriotic and freedom loving Americans in mind.

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